News

Do this one thing with your child for a longer, healthier life.

Could doing something for just 20 minutes each day really change a life?

YES!

Life is so busy that finding 20 minutes to do anything every day may seem impossible. But this one thing has eye-opening benefits for your child’s life and health: Reading.

Years of study show that family reading time has many fundamental benefits that hold a key to your child’s success in life:

Reading is fundamental to family bonding time.Just 20 minutes of one-on-one time with your child reduces stress for both of you.Your child craves the nurturing and reassuring comfort of your presence.Snuggle together before bedtime or schedule a 20-minute Saturday or Sunday morning reading time.Find a time of day that works for you and your child.

Reading is fundamental to being ready for school.Reading increases word power, memory and concentration.Children who grow up with books in the home tend to go farther in school.Children who enter school with basic reading skills are 3 – 4 times LESS likely to drop out of school.

Reading is fundamental to better health.The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports in “Education Matters for Health” that Individuals with more education tend to:

practice more health-promoting behaviors (like) being physically active and not smoking

have a job with healthier working conditions, benefits and higher wages

have a greater sense of control over the situations of their life, higher self-confidence and more social support.

Start today by setting aside 20 minutes to read with your child every day. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your child.